With a glance over at me, he grins. “I didn’t. I know a place nearby, though.”
I desperately need this distraction. My head is doing me in when he’s not already affecting me. To get out of my brain altogether, I hold my fingers to my mouth and send a chef’s kiss. “I need a little something for my sweet tooth.”
“You have a sweet tooth?”
“Kind of. It’s more for desserts at night than candy during the day.”
I hear his hum before he mutters under his breath, “Fascinating.”
Not worrying about his views on anything to do withme, and more focused back on why he’s suddenly treating me like his wife, I should move this along. “Why does it feel so late?”
Checking his watch, he replies, “Eight fifteen.”
“Would you be mad if we skipped this trip and headed back to the apartment?”
“Why would I be mad?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. You wanted gelato?”
“I can have gelato waiting for us before we get back home.”Homerolls off his tongue so effortlessly that goosebumps cover my arms in response. “I’ll need to borrow your phone, though. Mine is still mysteriously missing.”
Pulling my phone from my purse, I hand it to him. He only has it long enough to make a quick call and hand it back to me. But it’s enough time for my heart to squeeze from this turn in the relationship, the way I feel safe in his company while still quietly reveling in the use of the word home like it represents both of us.
When he’s finished, he steps to the curb, looking both ways. When his arm goes into the air, I realize it’s a getaway. But not from me.With me. To go “home” together.
I had already planned to stay the night, and after the way goose bumps covered my skin from just a brush of his lips against my neck, I can’t say I’m opposed to more. But Warner is making me think that gelato is code for a trap, especially when a cab pulls to the curb and he’s quick to open the door for me. It was one thing when I was leading this charge, but under his command, what situation am I getting myself into?
CHAPTER 13
Warner
The cabnext to ours lays on its horn. It’s the first sound in six blocks, and I’m coming out of my skin. It isn’t like Delaney to sit quietly. At least not the version of her I know so far. But it doesn’t take a genius to know when she’s quiet that she’s either devising her next step to torture me more or something else has briefly stolen her attention.
Maybe I’m finally getting to her, closer to cracking her chaotic outer shell or throwing in the towel and ending this ridiculousness she’s caught us in. I’m surprised the silent treatment is working. I’ve never fallen for it before. Never been worried enough to entertain such a petulant act. Refusing to indulge her anymore, I ask, “What’s on your mind?”
Do I think she’ll tell me the truth? She might. I don’t think every word out of her mouth is a lie. I just don’t know how to decipher between her lies and the truth.Yet. She’s harder to read than most, which I suppose is on purpose since, so far, I’ve not seen the real Delaney.
With a great outer package, a clever mind, and whip-smart mouth, I’m curious if there’s a side of her that isn’tonall the time. She replies, “You really want to know, Warner?”
“I really want to know, Delaney.” I crack a grin and dare to slide my hand over and loop my little finger over hers.
She glances down at the connection but doesn’t move away. “A lot happened today.” I want to fill the void when she pauses, but I don’t because I want to know what she thinks about, what upsets her, and makes her happy.
Shit, I care?
My chest tightens, so I reach up before remembering my arm is broken. I use my exposed fingers to massage the knot that’s forming inside me, hoping to make it disappear.
Caring is an impossibility. It’s only been two days. That would be illogical. I always keep my feelings in check. That’s not going to change just because her bottom lip shines, drawing my gaze every time I look at her, or the way she wears a pair of jeans. I like how the denim hugs her hips. I can admire her appearance without letting my feelings loose to roam. That’s how caring happens. Did I just mentally travel a loop to end up where I started? Damn, she’s rubbing off on me.
She says, “You saved me and then. . .” Her gaze moves through the windshield and distances. “You were.” A shake of her head casts her eyes down to her lap. “It was a lot today. My emotions are sort of tattered at the moment. I’ll be fine, but slowing down has given my mind too much time to process what happened.”
“Seems we’re even.”
I catch the start of a smile despite a lackluster effort to restrain it. When she looks over at me in the back of the cab, she laughs. It’s light but feels freeing, the sound evenworking on me. “Seems we are.” Pointing at me, she adds, “Just this one time, though.”
“I agree. I can’t wait to have you owing me.”
Laughter trickles off as her eyebrow arches. “What would I possibly owe you for?”
